Remember when, Class of 2010: Graduating students celebrated their hard work with pomp, circumstance, and plenty of cheers at ceremonies at Texas Hall. See the Class of 2010's commencement photo gallery.

Class of 2010 milestone: 2247 undergrad, 869 grad degrees conferred a new record

The 2010 spring graduating class became the largest ever at the University as 3,116 candidates crossed the Texas Hall stage to claim their degrees.

This class is 10.5 percent larger than last year's previous high mark, with 2,247 receiving undergraduate degrees and 869 earning master's or doctoral degrees.

The increase is driven by several trends, particularly in the College of Nursing, where enrollment has been boosted through the RN-to-BSN program, and through the University Studies degree program, which allows students who haven't decided on a major or who want to pursue interests in a range of academic areas to earn their degrees.

Comments from Maverick Celebration (held May 7 at the Levitt Pavilion), a festive gathering that began the graduation season:

President James D. Spaniolo spoke of what awaits graduates. "You wield the instruments of knowledge and discernment that will help you become engaged citizens of our new world."

William McKenzie, a 2010 Pulitzer Prize-winning alumnus and keynote speaker, advised them on success. "Find your passion. Be flexible. And whatever you do, don't quit ... not now ... not ever."

"Mavericks," aerospace engineering major Wendy Okolo called her fellow graduates in her celebratory speech, "I know that you are capable of doing, to the utmost of your abilities, whatever you have chosen to do."

College Park's coming: Street-level retail and office suites south of UTA Boulevard, between Pecan and Center streets, will be part of College Park near the Special Events Center. Also included will be campus residence halls wrapped around an 1,800-vehicle parking garage.

UT System Regents approve final design, funding for College Park

The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved the final design and funding for College Park at its May 13 meeting in Austin. College Park is an $80 million, mixed-used development on UT Arlington's eastern edge that will fuel new activity in the University and downtown business district.

The development includes campus residence halls wrapped around an 1,800-vehicle parking garage with street-level retail and office suites south of UTA Boulevard, between Pecan and Center streets. College Park also will include a new campus welcome center, a satellite campus police station and—in response to rising demand for on-campus housing—81 new apartment units.

The project marks the largest partnership to date between UT Arlington and the city of Arlington. The city has committed up to $18 million toward the parking structure, which will serve visitors to the University's 6,500-seat Special Events Center, under construction immediately south of the College Park site, as well as visitors to other downtown venues.

The events center is scheduled to open in late 2011, and College Park is expected to open in summer 2012.

Other notable College Park amenities include:

484 residence hall beds and 15 residence hall assistant rooms;

a new First Street connection, updated from initial concept drawings, will encourage street-level retail activity between Pecan and Center streets;

improved streetscapes and landscapes; and

enhanced architectural finishes that will create vertical separation and give the development the look of urban townhouses.

University wins most Texas Ignition Fund awards

UT Arlington has received the most awards for Texas Ignition Fund projects of any UT System institution, a new report shows.

UT Arlington garnered $475,000 for 10 projects, the latest being Huang Haiying's work on unpowered wireless ultrasound sensing systems. Dr. Haiying is an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering.

The UT System Board of Regents approved the $2 million Texas Ignition Fund (TIF) grant program in December 2007. The initiative is designed to stimulate commercialization of research discoveries at the 15 UT System institutions by providing early-stage grants for the development and maturation of such discoveries into marketable intellectual property, particularly to help bridge the gap between discovery and invention.

"I extol the virtues of the program," says Ron Elsenbaumer, UT Arlington vice president for research. "It's extremely difficult to get money for proof-of-concepts work in today's economic environment. It's a huge leap forward for the UT System to do this. It shows tremendous forward thinking on the System's part."

Haiying's grant was awarded in the last of five rounds of TIF grants. A list of recipients, projects, and grants is posted on the UT System website.

Commencement review

Take a quick tour of graduation ceremonies, speeches, and celebrations. Commencement videos will be available online and for download by tonight, Thursday, May 20.

President Spaniolo announces program on sharing ideas to contain costs

Faculty and staff can learn about the University's efforts to contain costs, reduce budgets, and achieve efficiencies at 11 a.m. today, Thursday, May 20, in the sixth floor parlor of the Central Library.

President James D. Spaniolo will discuss a new initiative where faculty and staff can share their ideas on how to cut costs and work smarter. Also, he will answer general questions about the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program.

SUPA offers minor in sustainability beginning in fall

The School of Urban and Public Affairs will offer a minor in sustainability in its undergraduate Interdisciplinary Studies Program beginning this fall. The minor will provide credentials in the field of sustainability to students in a variety of majors.

Biology Professor James P. Grover, who serves as chair of the University Sustainability Committee's curriculum work group, says the minor will benefit students like the science major who wants to work in environmental science or oversight with a regulatory agency and the liberal arts major who wants to work in broad areas of public policy.

Meghna Tare, director of sustainability for UT Arlington, says the offering will build a solid foundation for a sustainability major in the future and give students an opportunity to learn the principles of sustainability and the expertise to possibly pursue a career in sustainability.

Read more about the sustainability minor, or contact Rod Hissong, associate professor in the School of Urban and Public Affairs, at hissong@uta.edu or 2-3350 for more information.

World No Tobacco Day event May 28

Learn more reasons to quit smoking at the World No Tobacco Day event 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, May 28, in front of the Health Services Center.

Check your lung capacity as well as your knowledge of smoking trivia. Read the list of toxins in cigars and cigarettes, and compare the display of healthy lungs with those of a smoker. Representatives of the North Texas Coalition Against Alcohol and Tobacco will be on hand. Sign up for the free Fresh Start From Tobacco classes.

Come for the free popcorn, lemonade, and prizes, too.

UT Arlington will become a tobacco-free campus by August 2011 to foster a healthier community for students, employees, and visitors. Current University policy prohibits tobacco use in all campus buildings and facilities, including residence halls, apartments, and houses. Tobacco may not be used within 50 feet of building entrances or air intake vents of campus buildings.

To learn more about how to quit tobacco use, contact Nekima Booker at 2-2716 or nekimab@uta.edu.

Wake up to overnight software patches and updates

Beginning Wednesday, June 9, Windows computers that are capable of "waking up" after being shut down will receive software patches and updates overnight.

The benefit of "Wake On LAN" is that your Windows computer will not slow down during the workday when receiving these necessary software updates. The only change you may notice is that your computer is turned on when you come into the office on the second Thursday and fourth Wednesday of the month.

Your computer will take advantage of this new service automatically if it is:

"Wake on LAN" capable

a member of the UTA domain, and

shut down normally. (Do not unplug your computer or turn it off at a power strip.)

Mac computers are not affected by these changes. Macs that have been imaged by OIT Desktop Support receive patches and software updates automatically.

Special Olympics on campus May 28-30

More than 3,000 Special Olympics Texas athletes from across the state arrive on campus May 28-30 for the 2010 Summer Games. This is the fifth year for the event to be held at UT Arlington and surrounding community venues.

The games kick off with opening ceremonies at 7 p.m. Friday, May 28, at Maverick Stadium. Competitions also will take place at the Maverick Activities Center, Intramural Fields, and Tennis Center. A motor skills training program and volunteer meals will be at the E.H. Hereford University Center.

Special Olympics Texas is a privately funded nonprofit organization, providing year-round sports training and athletic competition for more than 36,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities in Texas. Visit www.specialolympicstexas.org.

And they're off!

Members of one Blazing Race team dash across campus Wednesday to the next wellness destination for the National Employee Health and Fitness Day event. Teams and individuals who completed the six stops along the course and pieced together puzzles and clues received prizes. The UT Arlington Wellness Committee hosted the event.

Campus steam shutdown scheduled to start Monday

It's that time of year again when the Thermal Energy Plant must shut down steam service to the campus to complete inspection and repair requirements of the system components. Steam outage begins at 1 a.m. Monday, May 24, and ends at 10 p.m. Wednesday, May 26. It was determined that this time period would cause the least disruption for campus functions and activities.

Buildings will be without hot water and steam. Electrical power, air conditioning, and cold water service will be available.

If you have questions concerning the buildings or equipment affected by this outage, contact Larry Harrison in the Office of Facilities Management at 2-3458.

New phone support hours at OIT Help Desk begin Monday

The Computer Help Desk for the Office of Information Technology will have new telephone support hours beginning Monday, May 24. The Help Desk will answer phones until 8 p.m. daily. Walk-in help and e-mail assistance at helpdesk@uta.edu will continue during the Central Library's regularly posted hours.

Dial-in service to be retired May 31

Just a reminder that dial-in modems to the campus network will be retired as of Monday, May 31, according to the Office of Information Technology.

Consistent usage decline over the past five years no longer justifies the cost of the modem pool. Both dial-up and higher speed Internet connections are available from other service providers. For more information, go to uta.edu/dialin or contact the Help Desk at helpdesk@uta.edu or 2-2208.

Dining, MAC, P.E. building hours change for summer intersession

Maverick Market and Starbucks in the E.H. Hereford University Center are the only dining facilities open between spring and summer semesters. Other dining spots are closed through Saturday, June 5.

The Maverick Activities Center and the Physical Education Building are open 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Fridays through Friday, June 4, except for Memorial Day, Monday, May 31, when hours are 5-10 p.m. See the pool schedule online. The buildings are closed Saturdays and Sundays through June 6.

Human Resources training classes help with job skills

Project Management In today's time-based and cost-conscious business environment, tight project deadlines and stringent expectations are the norm. This course will give participants an introduction to project management, along with essential skills and techniques necessary for planning and executing projects on time, on budget, and with maximum efficiency and productivity. 2-4 p.m., Thursday, May 27, Room 200, Wetsel Service Center.

Maverick 101: New Employee Orientation This class is designed to help new UT Arlington employees get to know the basics of what it means to "Be A Maverick" and to help current faculty and staff connect with the pulse of the University. 8 a.m.-noon, Wednesday, June 2, Room 200, Wetsel Service Center.

Building Blocks of Business Writing Everything you write by hand or produce on a computer is a reflection of who you are as a professional. Taking the time to communicate effectively in writing is crucial to your workplace success. Learn basic and next-level skills that will help you achieve the greatest level of effectiveness in your writing. Register online. 2-4 p.m., Thursday, June 3, Room 300, Wetsel Service Center.

International Association of Administrative Professionals

Interested in meeting other administrative professionals on campus and throughout the Metroplex? The Arlington Golden Circle Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals meets on the second Tuesday of each month in Room 200 of the Wetsel Service Center. www.iaap-arlington.org, Sherilyn Sicking, sicking@uta.edu, 2-5426.

"They want to know more about this population because it is going to be the labor force, the customer base, the patient load, the student population in America at least over the next 50 years even if we can close off the borders completely."

"They asked wonderful questions. This is what I love about teaching: having students like this. It's why I became an educator in the first place."

"Sometimes you feel a little like a principal. People see you and would rather you don't speak to them because, if you do, it will mean they're in trouble."

— Susan Gonzalez Baker, director of the Center for Mexican American Studies, on ethnic studies and Arizona's reduction of such courses in public schools.Education Week

— Kaushik De, professor of physics in the College of Science, on teaching four of five Hudlow siblings who attend or have graduated from UT Arlington.The Dallas Morning News

— Brittany Stricklin, biology doctoral student, on her job as a gallery attendant at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.Star-Telegram

Triple double: Maverick senior Jasmine Walls won the women's 100- and 200-meter dash events in the Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the third straight year.

Also finishing first for the Maverick women was Antonia Hopkins in the 400-meter dash and the 4x400-meter relay team.

For the men, Dwight Robinson won the 800-meter run, Aundrea Williams took the 400-meter hurdles, and the 4x100-meter relay team finished first. The Mavericks placed fourth as UT San Antonio captured the men's title.

Top UT Arlington qualifiers will compete in the NCAA West Region preliminary round May 27-29 at UT Austin.

Mav baseball travels this weekend; SLC tourney next week

A trip to Texas State for three games Thursday-Saturday May 20-22 completes the regular season for the Maverick baseball team as it prepares for the Southland Conference Baseball TournamentMay 26-29 at Corpus Christi.

The Mavericks are fifth with an 18-12 league record after losing two of three to Lamar last weekend in their final home series.

Softball season ends with losses at conference tournament

UT Arlington won three games at the Southland Conference Softball Tournament last weekend, but a pair of losses to Texas State eliminated the Mavericks as they finished the season with a 29-25 record. McNeese State topped Texas State to win the conference title.

Senior Cara Hulme hit a pair of home runs in the tournament and finished with 11 this season to lead the team. Freshman Teri Lyles picked up a pair of pitching victories to finish the year with 15, tops for the Mavericks.

Sports shorts

Junior Zack Fischer begins competition in the NCAA Regional Golf Tournament today, Thursday, May 20, at the Carlton Oaks Golf Club in San Diego. The 54-hole tournament is one of six golf regionals this weekend. The low five teams from each regional and the low individual not on those teams advance to the NCAA finals June 1-6 in Chattanooga, Tenn. ... Senior catcher Samantha Chumchal was named to the All-Southland Conference softball first team while freshman pitcher Teri Lyles received the Freshman of the Year award.

MavWire is published on Mondays and Thursdays (except for holidays) during the fall and spring semesters and on Thursdays during the summer. To submit items for possible inclusion in MavWire, email mavwire@uta.edu. Items must be received three working days before distribution. Inclusion of events and activities in MavWire does not necessarily constitute an endorsement by the University. Read the MavWire Guidelines.

MavWire welcomes any non-employees of UT Arlington who would like to subscribe.